“Yeah, you can attack him all you want, Winter,” Noah said. “He just sees attention. Not insults.”
“Can we go back to who was following you?” Xavier asked.
“Is that why I’m here? I’m tired. I don’t feel like messing around.”
“Let’s go back to my place,” Easton said. “All of us. That’s not some cheap pickup move.”
“Oh, good to know,” I said. “Why can’t we talk here?”
Noah inched forward and leaned down. “Because someone is behind you, watching us.”
My blood turned to ice.
I spun around and put my hands into fists like I was going to fight the air.
Behind me, I heard Noah laugh first.
Then Easton.
I sighed.
“Assholes,” I whispered.
Xavier touched my hips. “It was a joke, Winter.”
I shook him away. “It doesn’t fucking feel like one.”
I took a few steps away before turning again.
My heart raced.
“Come on, Winter,” Easton said. “We can’t talk out here.”
“Why not?”
“Because we don’t want to,” Noah said. “Follow or don’t. Whatever. We’re just trying to protect you from whatever is happening.”
“So now you care about me?” I asked without thinking.
“What does that mean?” Xavier asked. “Why did you say now?”
My mouth went dry.
Fuck.
“I… just… everything,” I said. “I just don’t get it.”
“Get what?” Noah asked.
“We can’t help you?” Easton asked.
“No,” I said. “I’ve heard and seen things…”
“All you’ve seen is us doing what we do best,” Noah said with a grin. “Someone scared you and we took care of it, right? We’re figuring out where this following stuff is coming from. Which is why we need to talk to you.”
“Inside my place,” Easton said.
“Why do I have to be inside your place?” I asked.
“You’re acting paranoid,” Xavier said.
“Ding, ding, ding,” I said. “You win the grand prize. What the fuck? Of course I’m paranoid. I woke up in a hospital bed, unable to remember anything. Or anyone. Now you three want to help me for some reason. And someone is following me. Any other questions?”
“Yeah,” Easton said. “Will you stop being stubborn and follow us?”
I groaned. “Fine.”
“Fucking hell,” Noah muttered.
“Problem, Noah?” I asked.
He turned, along with Easton.
Xavier waited for me to walk and then he walked behind me.
Like they were boxing me in. Leading me somewhere I didn’t want to go. Or maybe they were just trying to scare me a little.
I walked to Easton’s beach house like I didn’t know where it was.
When we arrived, the back lights were turned on, showing off the fancy deck.
Guess what?
It was clean.
No pink paint anywhere.
I lowered my head and smiled.
I thought about that crazy night.
Gia yelling at me to dump the paint. Me unsure what the hell to do.
What a crazy night.
I walked up the deck steps and Easton led the way into the house.
He had the air conditioning on full blast, which made me shiver. I was thankful for my hoodie.
The kitchen was big and bright, with a lot of windows. That was common for all the beach houses. Any part of the house that faced the ocean had tons of windows.
Duh.
Easton walked to the giant fridge and opened it.
He took out a drink for everyone.
Four bottles on the counter.
He twisted off the caps and then used his phone to dim the kitchen lights a little.
The setting was calm. Almost romantic in a sense.
Except it wasn’t just Easton and I.
Noah and Xavier were there too.
Noah rolled up the sleeves on his fancy shirt and jumped up on the counter.
He drank his drink fast.
Xavier wrapped his hand around the bottle and leaned against the sink.
He was so big and lumbering, his eyes always moving, looking for threats, and he was always thinking.
Easton outstretched his hands to the counter and just stared at me.
I stood in the middle of the floor, uneasy.
“Take a drink and relax,” Easton said.
“Why? What is this?”
I had a sudden wave of paranoia hit me.
I looked to my left and backed up a few steps to see into the other room.
There was a part of my mind that flashed images of the guy who was following me stepping out from the other room. That it was all a giant setup by Noah, Easton, and Xavier. That they knew the truth about my memory. Either by assumption or maybe Talon sold me out. Maybe Talon got the guy to give him a big chunk of money for the truth.
“You okay, Winter?” Noah asked.
I stepped forward and grabbed the fourth bottle off the counter and took a drink.
It was ice cold… and full of alcohol.
The chilly sting worked down my throat as I nodded.
“I’m fine,” I said. “What do you want?”
“Well…,” Noah said with a grin.
He looked at Xavier and they both nodded.
He looked at Easton and they both nodded.
Then Noah looked at me. He lifted his bottle and nodded to me.
“What?” I asked.
“We wanted to ask you out on a date.”
I almost dropped my drink.
Every nerve in my body tingled and wanted to do its own thing.
I reached forward and put my drink down.
“What?” I asked.
“You heard me,” Noah said.
“A date…?” I asked. “Why…”
“It’s a charity thing, Winter,” Xavier said. “We all have to go.”
“We don’t have to do shit,” Easton said. “But we always go. To show face. To protect the brand.”
“The brand?” I asked.
“Fuck off, Easton,” Noah said. He jumped from the counter. “He means the money and power. Our families. There’s an event an hour north of here. Even more quiet than down here. But it’s all about money, power, rubbing elbows…”
“Getting drunk,” Easton said.
“Shaking hands and making sure the next generation of money and power is safe,” Xavier added.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said. “Is this something I’ve done before?”
No. I’ve never heard of this before.
“No,” Noah said. “You’re not rich enough.”
“Thanks for that…”
“It’s the truth,” Easton said. “Your old man is rich as fuck. But everyone looks at him like a doofus.”
“Did you just say doofus?” I asked with a smile.
“Did you want him to call your father an idiot?” Xavier asked. “He doesn’t belong around here. He doesn’t fit in. Is that what you want us to say?”
I curled my lip at Xavier.
“Look, Winter, stay with me here on this,” Noah said. “This is a big event. It’s hard to explain the people that will be there. But it’s all fancy bullshit. It’s a way for the ultra-rich to brag about being ultra-rich.”
“Okay,” I said. “What does this have to do with me?”
“You’re coming with us,” Easton said.
“What?”
“You’re coming with us,” Xavier repeated Easton’s words. “You can’t be down here by yourself. At least for that long.”
“How long is this thing?” I asked.
“It’s overnight,” Noah said. “Two day thing. Sleep there once.”
“And I’m going with you?” I asked. “The three of you? You expect me to walk into some place
I don’t know, with a bunch of people I don’t know and just say hey, it’s cool, I’m banging these three guys at once!”
“You want to bang us?” Easton asked.
“No,” I said. “That’s not what I meant.”
“That’s what you said,” Easton said.
“Winter,” Xavier said.
His voice was deep yet sharp.
I looked right at him. “What?”
“Listen,” he said. “This is important. Something is going on around here. You’ve seen the shit going on. We don’t want anything to happen to you. If you want to stay back, then stay back.”
“No way,” Noah said. He almost lunged at Xavier. “There’s no way she’s staying here alone. I won’t go then.”
“Yes, you will,” Xavier said. “You have to go. You know what’ll happen if you don’t…”
“Don’t even talk like that,” Noah said. “I swear to God, brother, I will fucking fight you right now if you keep talking…”
I glanced at Easton.
He looked pissed. And nervous.
They were all on edge over this thing.
“What even is this?” I asked.
“It’s a ball,” Xavier said. “Like a fancy ball. Dinner. Dancing. Tuxedos. Dresses.”
“It’s all for show,” Noah said as he eased back from Xavier.
“Show?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Easton said. “We just need you there.”
“You need me there… need…” I said.
“So you don’t get hurt here,” Xavier said.
Noah walked toward me.
He moved fast, grabbing my hand.
His thumb eased along the back of it.
I had never seen him like this before.
“You’re going to come as our date,” he whispered. “Not in some dirty way or anything like that. But you’re with us. There’s nothing formal, no need for titles or anything. You’re not going to pretend to be in love with one of us or something.”
“But if you want to fuck one of us, I’m your guy,” Easton called out.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said to Easton.
Noah’s lip curled.
He did not like when Easton and I flirted about that topic.
I pulled my hand away from Noah’s.
“So I just show up as… what?” I asked.
“Whatever you want to be,” Xavier said. “You’re with us.”
“You can be a hot intern,” Easton said.
“Do you ever turn it off?” I asked.
“That’s what happens when you haven’t gotten laid in two years,” Noah said as he looked back at Easton.
“Oh, fuck you, man,” Easton said. “You want to talk about who got what when?”
“Yeah, maybe we should,” Noah said.
They started to face off, yelling at each other about their conquests.
I set my eyes to Xavier and he nodded to the door to go outside.
I looked back at Noah and Easton.
“Two fingers are what counts,” Easton said. “Not just rubbing-”
“You have no idea how stupid you sound right now,” Noah said.
I shook my head.
Xavier walked by me.
I followed him.
I could use some fresh air.
And maybe time alone with Xavier.
Or maybe I’d run off the deck and just start running down the beach.
And I would never be seen again.
Chapter 12
conquests and kisses
Xavier leaned against the railing next to me.
“They’ll be in there for a while,” he said. “Back and forth.”
“Best friends, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“And they really argue over each other’s sex life?”
Xavier smirked. “When you can’t get it, you make sure you brag about the times you’ve gotten it.”
“Stop,” I said. “I don’t believe that for a second. You three? No way you guys are running dry when it comes to that.”
“Oh yeah?” Xavier asked. “What about you?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. “What about me?”
“I know you have no memory, but you still have feelings. Needs. Right?”
“That’s a little personal.”
“You brought up the subject,” Xavier said. “I took you away from it in there. I just thought we could come out here until they were done arguing.”
I had a lot of questions for Xavier but I didn’t want to go down that road with him. I didn’t need to know how many girls he had slept with. Because it would probably end up making me jealous.
There, I can admit it.
And I didn’t need him asking questions and have me slip up and confess things that I wasn’t supposed to remember.
“So… this ball thing…”
“That sounds dirty,” Xavier said.
“You sound like Easton,” I said.
“No. I’m always me. You just haven’t seen all of me yet, Winter. Give it time. Hang around.”
“Get followed,” I said. “Feel threatened. Be confused. Yeah, this is a great way to live.”
Xavier laughed. “You get really worked up sometimes, you know that?”
“Do I not have the right?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that,” Xavier said. He looked forward. “Look, this ball thing is a big deal. For us. For our families. We usually just slip away and handle it. Someone will spread a rumor that we’re off to track someone down or we got into trouble. Who the fuck knows or cares, right? That’s what they do over at BFH. Anyway, this is just part of the gig.”
“The gig?” I asked.
“Being rich. Being powerful. Being part of a family that controls a lot. It’s not just sit back and buy an island and call it a life. You get the money and then you have to protect the money. Then you have to grow the money. And then you have to protect the money you’re growing. It’s all bullshit.”
“Sounds like you don’t like being rich, Xavier.”
He smiled. “I never said that. But it comes at a price. Which is kind of ironic.” He turned and leaned against the railing. His right hand touched my hand. “You have to be there. We won’t be able to function without you.”
“Why do you guys care so much about me?” I asked.
“I can’t speak for the other guys,” Xavier said. He moved his hand from my hand to my face. Touching my cheek, keeping my gaze upon his. “But for me… when I look at you, I see a tough kind of beauty that just sticks in my head.”
“Beauty…”
“Yeah. You’re fucking sexy, Winter,” Xavier said. He inched closer to me. “No matter the past or present. It’s all the same. I’ve always thought that way about you. But let’s keep that a secret. Okay? Between you… and me…”
Xavier moved even closer.
My lips started to quiver, aching for his kiss.
Before he could kiss me, the door opened.
“And I never touched anyone from HCH,” Easton announced. “That was all a lie. That was Jess getting back at me for fooling around with her friend.”
Xavier pushed from the railing and winked at me.
“You two still fighting over this?” Xavier asked.
“You know, why don’t you take a turn to argue with him?” Noah asked.
“I don’t need to,” Xavier said.
“Yeah, because you keep your sex life hidden,” Easton said. “Fuck, man, have you ever had sex?”
Easton and Noah laughed.
Xavier didn’t.
There was no way Xavier was a virgin.
But he was quiet about his private life.
That… well, that was intriguing.
And kind of sexy.
I went back into the house at Noah’s request.
Easton caught me looking around.
“Want a private tour?” Easton whispered as he closed in on me.
“Of what?”
; “The house. My pants.”
“Thought I was already there,” I said.
“Oh, you were,” Easton said. “You screamed my name so loud, Winter… I thought you were going to break the windows in my car.”
I shook my head. “You are so full of shit, Easton.”
“Prove it. Do you remember or not?”
“No. I don’t remember.”
“Then you don’t know,” he said. He moved his eyes down my body and back up. “Ah… memories…”
I grabbed his right wrist and lifted his hand. “This is where the memories are, Easton.”
“And I bet you’d like to watch me do that too,” he said.
I let his hand go.
I curled my lip.
“You’re coming to the ball with us, right?” he asked.
As he asked the question, I felt Noah and Xavier staring at me again.
“So what do I have to do?” I asked.
“I’ll get you a dress,” Noah said.
“I will,” Easton said.
“Who said you get to pick out a dress for her?” Xavier asked.
They started to argue.
Over a dress.
Over me.
They got louder.
They got closer to each other.
They looked ready to fight each other.
Over a dress.
Over me.
I took a deep breath to calm myself but it was too late.
My heart was racing in a bad way.
A really bad way.
The signals from my heart, head and body were way too crossed now.
I hated myself…
I liked it.
All of it.
I liked the way they looked at me. Talked to me. The way they wanted to be near me.
I fought the feelings off the best I could but it was impossible to do.
That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to destroy them.
No… that was very much on the table.
But in the meantime, the attention…
I clapped my hands together to shut them up.
They all looked at me at the same time.
Noah had a finger an inch from Easton’s nose. Easton had his mouth open like he was going to bite Noah’s finger. Xavier’s jaw was steel like and tight with anger.
“Forget about the dress,” I said.
“You’re going to show up naked?” Easton asked.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Xavier asked.
Damaged Love (Bay Falls High NEXT Book 2) Page 10
